A RAT-INFESTED MINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6829, 6 October 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

A RAT-INFESTED MINE.

In the Franklin Scott mine on Prospect Mountain no work has been done for three years until two weeks ago, and probably no human being has gone down into it during that period of time. Upon taking a lease of the property the present lessees went up to the mine, and one of their number, Joe Cummings, was chosen to descend the ladder, nearly 100 feet, with a rope tied round his waist for security against accident. He descended to the bottom, and there found himself surrounded by myriads of large rats. The animals were seized with terror'at hiß appearance among thc-m and jumped about the sides of the shaft, and in wild confusion covered him at times jrom head.to foot. _ He says lia never experienced such eihgular arid'' disagreeable sensations in his life. A minute seemed to him an £;ge. He admits that he was scared, for he was afraid that he would be eaten alive by the crazed and ravenous creatures although they, if possible, were more.frightened than he, and leaped upon him in their efforts to escape. He tried to avoid them, and they were doing their best to dodge him. He yelled as loud as he could for the boys to haul him out. When they began to tug away and he felt his feet on the ladders again, and iiie brushed off the last clinging rodent, he breathed easier, and congratulated himself for a while on what he had supposed nothing short of an escape from death. On reaching the surface giant powder was brought into requisition and used until it was thought the last rat had been destroyed. Strange enough, when lie descended into the shaft again he found only three dead rats at the bottom. The rest had evidently found exit through unknown crevices leading to the surface or into distant caves.